NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 362 D-I head coaches for 2023-24 season

40. Juwan Howard (Michigan) (Last year: 32)

• Overall record: 79-48

Yet another former NBA stud having success at the college game, Howard was part of the Fab Five that had immense success at Michigan in the early 90’s. He played nearly two decades in the NBA and was an assistant for several years with the Miami Heat. Back in 2019, he was brought to Michigan for his first head coaching position and has had some breakthroughs. The Wolverines made the Elite Eight in 2021 and the Sweet Sixteen the following season, but they’re coming off a disappointing year where Michigan settled for an NIT despite a very talented lineup.

39. Steve Alford (Nevada) (Last year: 42)

• Overall record: 579-320

Alford starred under Bob Knight at Indiana and won a national championship as a player in 1987. He’d play parts of four seasons in the NBA before beginning a head coaching career that’s going on 30+ years. He was great at D3 Manchester, took Missouri State to the Sweet Sixteen, and had varying success at Iowa. Alford also worked success at New Mexico and UCLA before landing at Nevada back in 2019. Initially, things were going well with the Wolf Pack, but this past season was his best effort, finishing 4th in the MWC and getting Nevada back to the Big Dance.

38. Kevin Willard (Maryland) (Last year: 49)

• Overall record: 292-223

After playing under his father at Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh, Willard was an assistant for the Boston Celtics and at Louisville under Rick Pitino. His head coaching career began with three decent years at Iona before taking the Seton Hall job back in 2010. He transformed the Pirates into a consistent competitor in the new Big East, making five NCAA Tournaments while winning a ton of games. Last offseason saw Willard jump to Maryland and experience great success right out the gate, leading the Terrapins into the second round of the Big Dance after a rough previous season.

37. Greg Gard (Wisconsin) (Last year: 37)

• Overall record: 164-93

A longtime disciple of Bo Ryan, Gard played for him at Wisconsin-Platteville before spending more than twenty years on Ryan’s coaching staffs. It wasn’t just Platteville; Gard worked under Ryan at Milwaukee and for 14 years at Wisconsin, including their two Final Four runs in the mid-2010’s. After Ryan’s retirement, Gard was promoted to the top job in December 2015. He immediately led the Badgers to two Sweet Sixteen’s and has had five trips to the Big Dance. The Badgers won 20 games again last season, but settled for the NIT.

36. Jon Scheyer (Duke) (Last year: 78)

• Overall record: 27-9

An impressive guard at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski, Scheyer won a national title as a senior in 2010 before a brief professional playing career. He got into coaching back with the Blue Devils, joining Coach K’s staff in 2013. Promoted to a full-time assistant and later associate head coach, he won another title on the staff in 2015 and would succeed Coach K as the new head coach last year. Year one at Duke was a solid effort, with the Blue Devils winning the ACC Tournament title before falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

35. Dusty May (Florida Atlantic) (Last year: 202)

• Overall record: 101-60
• Final Four in 2023

Early in his career, May was a lesser-known assistant at schools like Eastern Michigan and Murray State, but everyone in the sport knows him now. He aided Mike White at Louisiana Tech and Florida before getting his head coaching start at Florida Atlantic in 2018. There were solid moments in his first four seasons but this past year broke the mold in a major way. He built a fantastic roster with the Owls, who would finish the year 35-4 and advance all the way to the Final Four. His work in Boca Raton has been masterful and he’s not done yet.

34. Chris Holtmann (Ohio State) (Last year: 27)

• Overall record: 237-160

A standout player at Taylor, an NAIA school, Holtmann got into coaching soon after his playing career ended, working at a few lesser known schools. His first head coaching chance came at Gardner-Webb before catching on at Butler, ascending to the top job in 2014. Holtmann won four NCAA Tournament games in three years with the Bulldogs and departed for Ohio State in 2017, though the results have been very mixed. The Buckeyes have yet to advance beyond the opening weekend of the Big Dance and finished 13th in the Big Ten last season.

33. Randy Bennett (Saint Mary’s) (Last year: 38)

• Overall record: 507-208

One of the nation’s most underrated head coaches, Bennett has made himself quite a career out at Saint Mary’s. He worked as an assistant at a number of schools, including a long stint at San Diego and a few stops under Lorenzo Romar. Saint Mary’s handed him their head coaching job in 2001 and hasn’t regretted the choice. In a WCC dominated by Gonzaga, the Gaels have been impressive, with nine trips to the Big Dance, a few conference titles, and a plethora of wins. Saint Mary’s has won a NCAA Tournament game in each of the last two postseason.

32. Andy Enfield (USC) (Last year: 40)

• Overall record: 246-157

A former standout shooter at Johns Hopkins, Enfield actually worked in the NBA as a shooting coach early in his career. He caught on at the college game as an assistant to Leonard Hamilton at Florida State before getting his head coaching shot at Florida Gulf Coast. Unforgettably, he led the 15-seeded Eagles to the Sweet Sixteen back in 2013 before taking the USC job a few weeks later. The Trojans have been in great shape under Enfield’s leadership, finishing Top 3 in the Pac-12 each of the last four seasons, including an Elite Eight in 2021 and a third straight Tourney bid this past season.

31. Jerome Tang (Kansas State) (Last year: 118)

• Overall record: 26-10

Undoubtedly the hottest first-year head coach in the nation this past season, Tang waited for the right head coaching position. A former high school head coach in Texas, he spent 19 years as Scott Drew’s right-hand man in building Baylor, culminating in that national championship in 2021. Last season, Tang departed for Kansas State to begin to build his own legacy and got off to a phenomenal start. The Wildcats finished 3rd in a tough Big 12 and advanced to the Elite Eight.